Putin Briefs PM Modi on Trump Summit as US Tariff Pressure Looms Over India
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday personally briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his recent high-stakes summit with US President Donald Trump in Alaska, a diplomatic outreach that comes as India navigates complex geopolitical currents. In a post on X, Prime Minister Modi confirmed the phone call and thanked the Russian leader for sharing his insights.
“Thank my friend, President Putin, for his phone call and for sharing insights on his recent meeting with President Trump in Alaska,” Modi stated, reiterating India’s consistent call for a peaceful resolution to the Ukraine conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.
The call carries significant weight as it follows Washington’s recent decision to impose a 25% tariff on select Indian goods, along with an additional 25% penalty for India’s procurement of Russian oil. President Trump has publicly alleged that India, by purchasing discounted Russian crude, is effectively helping to fund Moscow’s war effort in Ukraine.
Despite this pressure, India has maintained its independent foreign policy, officially welcoming the August 15 meeting between the US and Russian leaders. In a statement on Saturday, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said, “India welcomes the Summit meeting in Alaska between US President Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin of Russia. Their leadership in the pursuit of peace is highly commendable.”
The Alaska summit, the first between the two leaders since Russia’s full-scale invasion began, concluded after nearly three hours without a definitive agreement to end or even pause the war. Following the meeting, President Trump described the talks as “very productive” but conceded that while progress was made, “there’s no deal until there’s a deal.”
In subsequent remarks, Trump shifted the onus for achieving peace squarely onto Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “Now, it’s really up to President Zelenskyy to get it done,” Trump said, adding that European nations also need to get more involved. The direct conversation between Modi and Putin underscores the delicate diplomatic balancing act India is performing as it seeks to maintain strong ties with both Moscow and Washington amid the ongoing conflict and its economic fallout.
